Nov 24 | This week in 1975

#1 at KRIZ: “Island Girl” by Elton John, from the #1 album, Rock Of The Westies. The Eagles have two hits on this week’s chart: “Lyin’ Eyes” climbs to #2 as “One Of These Nights,” a former #1, descends to… Continue reading

Nov 17 | This week in 1971

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Old Fashioned Love Song” by Three Dog Night, leaping up from #8 last week. Before joining Three Dog Night, Cory Wells, who sings harmony on this hit, was based in Phoenix performing with his Cory Wells Blues… Continue reading

Oct 20 | This week in 1967

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Gimme Little Sign” by Brenton Wood, following up his Phoenix top 10 hit “The Oogum Boogum Song.” It dethrones “The Letter” by the Box Tops, featuring vocals by 16-year-old Alex Chilton, who in 1999 sang a rather… Continue reading

Oct 13 | This week in 1972

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Summer Breeze,” first big hit for Seals & Crofts and the title track from the #2 album. So much to talk about this week, including several chart quirks… With the presidential election (Richard Nixon vs. George McGovern)… Continue reading

Sep 22 | This week in 1970

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Green-Eyed Lady” by Denver’s Sugarloaf for a second week. KRIZ, of course, played the entire seven-minute album version while rival KRUX aired the truncated single edit. Jumping from #16 to #4 is next week’s #1 song, “I’ll… Continue reading

Sep 08 | This week in 1969

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies, the biggest “bubblegum” hit of all time and the most successful song ever by a cartoon group. The Archies were actually studio musicians fronted by singer Ron Dante, who filled a similar… Continue reading

Aug 18 | This week in 1966

#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “Yellow Submarine” backed with “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles, rocketing up from #17 last week. The two-sided hit is culled from the Revolver LP, often cited as the best album of all time. Critics have said each… Continue reading

Aug 11 | This week in 1971

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, the 19th in their incredible string of 20 Top 40 radio hits before breaking up. It all began just three years earlier with “Suzi Q.” The band saturated the airwaves because… Continue reading

Jul 07 | This week in 1974

#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Annie’s Song” by John Denver. After divorcing Annie, perhaps John wished he had named it “You Fill Up My Senses” — the song’s opening line. Former #1 “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot holds at #2. It’s the title… Continue reading

Jun 02 | This week in 1971

#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “It Don’t Come Easy” by Ringo Starr. This was his first solo hit after the Beatles, but he had lots of help: George Harrison produced it and played the distinctive guitar part; Stephen Stills was on piano;… Continue reading